August 16th, 2038
PM 05:41:09
PM 05:41:10
Hart Plaza - Mall
Cora reached the crystal doors, those reflecting the outdoor scenario, including its appearance.
It tilted its head aside before its reflection. The LED processing the material.
[Scanning...]
One way crystals.
Opening the door, it realized they weren't seen through from the outside, but the Deviant was able to see everyone.
It looked away from the crystals, LED processing the information. It was then when it could hear the frightened whispers from inside, an angry voice snapping at them to shut up while someone's crying intensified.
./DEVIANT'S WHEREABOUTS DETECTED
Cora slowly approached the second set of doors, turning the knob, peering inside first, quickly scanning the environment.
[Scanning...]
[Scan completed]
Estimate 11 hostages
No critical damage detected.
Deviant, LED red, visible signs of software instability, stress levels 85%
Hostage, unharmed, elevated heartbeat, stress levels 90% and increasing.
Security guard, gunshot to the leg. Probability of critical damage, elevated
New Mission Update
DISCALATE THE SITUATION
Main objective(s):
- Gain Deviant's trust
- Save hostages
Side mission(?) Public Opinion:
- Help security guard.
Accept/deny (?)
SELECTING PRIORITY...
"Hey, you!"
The priority was selected immediately, as soon as the deviant shouted at it.
PRIORITY_SELECTED
GAIN DEVIANT'S TRUST
"Hello, Aaron" Cora greeted, still remaining on the door, half body behind the doors, but at the Deviant's attention, it leaned inside more. "My name is Cora"
The Deviant trembled slightly, "How do you know my name?!"
"I know a few things about you" Cora admitted, starting to raise its hands to show the Deviant it wasn't armed.
"He's gone crazy! Help me!" Lauren, the hostage yelled, scared, pleadingly, however, once Cora straightened its position, but still remaining at the doors, was when the girl and everyone else noticed the new Android. "You're an Android?!"
"Oh, my God" one of the hostages murmured, holding her child to her chest. "We're doomed"
Cora noticed the shift. A slight moment of conflict appeared through its HUD. Public opinion? Mission?
^Software instability
Cora paid no attention to the instability label, it was a prototype, instabilities were normal.
However, it's social relations protocol stated to reassure the humans.
"I am an Android, yes" Cora began, "But my mission states to rescue you from this situation" it paused momentarily. "I always accomplish my mission"
Bang!
The gunshot was heading directly to its way with precision only androids were able to have. Immediately, Cora entered to its mind palace, pre-constructing the trajectory of the bullet, blinking to exit the mind palace, shifting just right to the side, seeing the bullet fly past it, shattering the glass door, LED flickering in acknowledgment, expression curious at the bullet.
The action made some hostages cry in fear but Cora paid no attention to them, slowly turning to Aaron. It's hand was trembling, and it seemed terrified it shot at the Android.
"I'm sorry" Aaron apologized, lip trembling. "I could have killed you"
"You can't kill me" Cora stated calmly. "I am not alive" Aaron scoffed, "However, they are, Aaron. They are alive. And you are threatening their lives. It is against our programming to endanger human lives"
"But they have all the right to treat us like trash?!" Aaron spat, tightening it's grip on Lauren's body, against it. It's arm locked her in place at her neck and she held into his arm as if trying to pry it off her. It looked down at her, disgust playing on every corner of its expression. "To treat us like slaves without feelings? No! They don't have the right!"
Aaron
^^Stress levels: 91%
Probability of human harm, increased.
Select_Approach
>Serious
>Comforting
>Indifferent
>Threatening
Being threatening may probably trigger it to shoot again, maybe not to Cora but to another hostage, probability of human harm: 57% if selecting that approach.
Indifference would prove it's point about its 'beliefs', while not increasing human harm, it would lower the probability of success of the mission.
Serious wasn't working. It had tried to remain serious so far but only increased its stress levels. Critical stress was dangerous for Androids.
So, there was no other option.
Approach_SELECTED "Comforting"
"It is okay, Aaron" Cora began softly. "All you have done is assist Lauren and her mother. That was your primary function, correct?" Aaron nodded shakily. Cora's lip pulled slightly up in a half smile, slyly starting to walk forward, "But anything you did for them, specially Lauren, she was never satisfied with your performance"
"She has always called me stupid" Aaron murmured, almost in a whisper. Cora had to raise the sensitivity of its auditory sensors to a 20% to listen what it was saying.
"Names like plastic? Useless tin can?" Cora continued, program running behind its eyes, searching through internet the way humans referred to Androids. Aaron winced. "That angered you"
"It wasn't fair" Aaron agreed, stress levels: 88%. It was lowering with the conversation. It wanted... Someone to understand? Too bad Cora didn't. It just pretended it did. It's LED never changed from blue, letting Aaron think it was empathizing with him, it talked like she understood what he was going through. "I liked working for them. Seeing them smile whenever I did something to their liking felt less of a burden and I began loving assisting them"
"I didn't know that" Lauren whispered, still scared but no longer squirming in its grip that much
Cora glanced at the girl momentarily. "Yet, she still yelled at you all morning. I saw the security cameras, Lauren. You treated your android like... Trash"
Aaron
↓↓Stress levels: 76%
Cora realized being sympathetic was helpful. It could reached the deviant and force the weapon out of its hands. Slowly, Cora began pre-constructing, however it was interrupted by a soft groan of pain.
It blinked, glancing around, seeing the security guard on the floor, clutching his leg.
Aaron followed its gaze, "He tried to stop me. I-I didn't mean to shoot him"
WARNING:
Public opinion
Accept/Deny?
Cora shoved away the side mission. Public opinion didn't matter right now, however the human life did. It's medical aid protocol immediately pulled up without it prompting it, realizing a human life was in its hands and androids aren't allowed human harm.
If Cora ignored his wound, it'd be like harming him itself.
Cora couldn't let that happen.
^Software instability
"He needs medical attention" it informed the deviant.
Aaron hesitated, "He would have killed me. He could kill you too! Maybe it's better this way. That he dies"
Cora paid no attention to it, immediately reaching out for its ribbon, kneeling next to the man. "I am applying a torniquete"
"Step away from him!" Aaron snapped.
Aaron
^Stress levels: 83%
"Human harm goes against my programming" Cora said, tightening the ribbon on his leg. The security guard looked up at it, shocked. Cora met his eyes briefly, looking away. "Why are you ignoring yours? Those are errors that should be looked after, Aaron"
Cora stood, turning to face Aaron.
"Why is the fact I can feel things like they do, immediately I'm called defective?" Aaron asked in anger, "Why they have the need to create someone to go after us? Is the idea of freedom for us so scary?"
Approach_SELECTED "Serious"
"Is this freedom to you?" Cora asked, raising an eyebrow, the action looking so human momentarily that stopped Aaron from saying what it wanted to. "The moment you pulled out a gun, shot to a human and held a dozen of them hostage, you destroyed the opportunity of your freedom before it even began"
Aaron's expression shifted, as if realizing what it just did. "No. No. I just wanted to be heard!"
Cora tilted it's head, "You are. Not the way you wanted though"
Aaron
↓stress levels: 70%
"What can I do?" Aaron asked, fearfully.
"You can start by letting these people go" Cora told it, stopping just a few steps away from it.
"But..." Aaron hesitated. "What's going to happen to me when I do that?"
WARNING: PENDING OBJECTIVE
- GAIN DEVIANT'S TRUST
> Truth
> Lie
Approach_SELECTED "Lie"
"You will be taken to custody" Cora replied.
The Deviant's system was full of software errors that made it think it was human. Human captors were arrested when committing a crime.
Cora made it believe the same was going to happen to it. It's LED remained blue at the lie.
Aaron fell silent, contemplating.
Aaron
↓↓Stress Levels: 47%
"Are you lying?" Aaron asked suspiciously.
Cora's LED cycled momentarily. "No, I am not lying"
^Software Instability
Aaron
↓↓Stress Levels: 23%
"Okay" Aaron began to loosen its grip from Lauren, the girl looking relieved, tears falling down her cheeks, "Okay, I- I'll let her go"
Free from its grasp, Lauren let out a sob, running toward Cora, hiding behind the RK850's back, holding its arm.
Cora tilted it's head, holding a hand up to the Deviant, "Weapon too, Aaron"
Aaron's hand trembled slightly. "Do you promise I will only be arrested, Cora?"
"I promise" Cora lied easily.
Aaron
↓↓stress levels:10%
GAIN DEVIANT'S TRUST
MISSION ACOMPLISHED
Aaron put the gun on Cora's hand, the RK immediately discarding the American Androids Act warning stating Androids aren't allowed to carry any sort of weapon as it contradicted its instructions. It will not press the trigger, simply clicking on the safety, lowering it to its side.
Cora glanced at the rest of the hostages, "You may go now"
The hostages didn't need to be told twice, immediately running away to the exit, except for Lauren who remained behind Cora.
Outside, Captain Allen again was rendered speechless by an Android. Neither of the hostages seemed harmed which it was something he had feared when he heard a gunshot the moment the Android walked in.
Immediately, he ordered his men walk in.
Aaron and Cora still remained standing, looking at each other, Lauren behind Cora.
"What happens now?" Aaron asked softly, it's LED stabilizing but still cycling between red and yellow.
Long gone was the comforting and soft expression Cora had used while talking to Aaron.
"You will be taken to Cyberlife to be examined as to why your software is experimenting errors" Cora answered.
Aaron gaped in disbelief, shaking its head in denial, "No!" it snapped, the outburst making Lauren flinch, hiding further behind Cora while the Android's LED simply flickered at the sound, staring at the Deviant emotionlessly. Suddenly, Aaron grabbed Cora's shoulders, shaking it "You promised!"
It was fast, the way it was silenced. A splatter of thirium, 'blue blood' how humans called it covered Cora's calm face, Lauren screaming in shock.
A gunshot had interrupted the Deviant from exclaiming to the Android he was certain had understood him. His grip on the RK's shoulders loosened, shock featuring his expression at the betrayal he could feel.
"You promised...." he managed to voice his last words before his systems shut down, falling to its knees.
↓Software Instability
Cora watched expressionlessly as a group of SWAT officers entered the mall.
Lauren was escorted outside, crying in relief.
Cora glanced down at the deactivated Deviant, thirium leaving the gunshot from its forehead.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Captain Allen approached Cora, staring at it, feeling impressed for a second time.
Cora simply reached out to its shoulders, fixing the wrinkles on its jacket, turning around, giving the gun to Captain Allen, walking away without another word.